By Christopher Ameh, Bauchi
Six governorship candidates of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the North-East have rejected the appointment of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engr. Babachir Lawal, as the party’s leader in the region.
The candidates, in a joint statement addressed to the national leadership of the party and signed by Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, said they would not recognise Lawal in the position.
They described their position as “collective, firm and final,” arguing that the appointment was made without consultation with them or other key stakeholders involved in building the party’s structures and mobilising support across the six states of the North-East.
The governorship candidates said on Sunday that, after due consideration, they had unanimously resolved not to recognise Lawal as the NDC leader in the region.
“After due consideration, we have unanimously resolved not to recognise Engr. Babachir Lawal as the Leader of the NDC in the North-East, and we will not recognise him as such,” they stated.
They argued that political decisions should take into account local realities and urged the national leadership to consider the views of stakeholders directly involved in the party’s activities and electoral mobilisation across the region.
The candidates also expressed concern that Lawal’s appointment could affect the party’s electoral prospects in the North-East, maintaining that the decision, in their view, would not add electoral value to the party in the region.
According to them, consulting the governorship candidates before making the appointment would have allowed the national leadership to better understand the political realities and concerns in the six states.
They therefore appealed to the party’s national leadership to review the appointment and engage with the affected governorship candidates in the interest of unity, cohesion and the strengthening of the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The statement was signed by Aishatu Dahiru Ahamed of Adamawa State, Barr. Ibrahim Muhammad Kashim of Bauchi State, Rear Admiral S. Kashim Ibrahim (Rtd.) of Borno State, Dr. Babayo Ardo of Gombe State, Prof. Mohammed Sani of Taraba State and Ibrahim M. Shitu of Yobe State.
While acknowledging the efforts of the NDC national leadership in providing a platform for political participation ahead of the 2027 elections, the candidates maintained that their opposition to Lawal’s appointment remained unchanged.
“For the avoidance of doubt, our position is collective, firm and final: we do not recognise Engr. Babachir Lawal as the Leader of the NDC in the North-East, and we will not recognise him as such,” they stated.
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